Volunteers needed: Help install free smoke alarms as part of national Red Cross Sound the Alarm effort

NASHVILLE, Tenn., May 4, 2022 — Volunteers are needed to help install free smoke alarms for local families in Nashville, where Red Cross local volunteers have responded to 205 home fires since July 2021. Home fires are the number one disaster the American Red Cross responds to daily.

The Nashville Area Chapter of the American Red Cross is leading the Sound the Alarm smoke alarm installation and home fire safety event on May 7, as part of a national Red Cross initiative in May to install 50,000 free smoke alarms with partners in more than 50 at-risk communities across the country.

 

“Sound the Alarm is such a great way for citizens to truly make a difference in their communities by directly helping local families,” said Joel Sullivan, Nashville Area Chapter executive director. “This one-day event can help save lives of your neighbors by simply installing free smoke alarms, which has shown to cut the risk of dying in a home fire in half.” In 2022, there have been 30 home fire fatalities in Tennessee according to the U.S. Fire Administration.

 

People can register now at SoundTheAlarm.org to install free smoke alarms and share fire safety information with residents during a local Sound the Alarm event in Nashville, May 7 from 11:45 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.. No prior experience is needed. Training will be provided at Plaza Mariachi at 3955 Nolensville Pike in Nashville before volunteer teams, with members of the Red Cross Disaster Action Team and volunteers and partners visit area homes with both appointments for installations, as well as canvasing for installs.

 

Because of generous donations, all services are free and available for people in need. Can’t join the event? Help by donating to the Red Cross at SoundTheAlarm.org to help people prepare for, respond to and recover from home fires — which account for most of the U.S. disasters that the Red Cross responds to every eight minutes.

 

IF YOU NEED A SMOKE ALARM Residents in Nashville Area Chapter area who need assistance can visit RedCross.org/Tennessee to schedule an appointment for a free smoke alarm installation during this Red Cross Sound the Alarm event. During the home visits, Red Cross volunteers will also share information on the causes of home fires, how to prevent them, what to do if a fire starts and how to create an escape plan.

 

MORE THAN 1,200 LIVES SAVED AND COUNTING This Sound the Alarm event is a critical part of the national Red Cross Home Fire Campaign, which has helped save 30 lives in Tennessee since launching in October 2014. As part of the campaign in Nashville Area Chapter, the Red Cross and local partners since 2015 have installed 7,943 free smoke alarms and made 3,034 households safer.